`Red Alert` most demanding film of my life: Suneil Shetty

New Delhi: Actor Suneil Shetty, who plays a farmer turned naxalite in Anant Mahadevan`s `Red Alert`, says it has been the most challenging and demanding film of his life.

The actor, who made a name for himself by starring in a number of action and comedy movies in the 90`s like `Mohra`, `Border` and `Hera Pheri`, feels that `Red Alert`, which released last Friday, gave him a chance to come out of his comfort zone.

"When I first got the script I felt it was controversial but a role that will never come to me again. So it took it up. All the positive reaction to my role has been very encouraging," Shetty told reporters.

The 48-year-old actor says it was not easy to play a helpless farmer who cannot do much to change his situation except turn to violence.

"It is very easy in a film to stand up and kill ten people but here I am a guy who wants to know why we have to kill. I am like a child who keeps asking questions and has nightmares because he is forced to kill," said Shetty, adding that he had to change his body language to portray the helplessness of his character.

"My character has never picked a gun in his life or has seen a body in life but he has to go through all this. So my entire body language had to change. In this film, I have done something that I would not do otherwise. It was the most demanding film of my life. Physically and emotionally it was very taxing," said Shetty.

The actor, who started his Bollywood journey in 1992 with `Balwaan` and went on to star in more than 100 films, working with actors like Seema Biswas and Naseeruddin Shah was a scary experience.

"Here I was working with some of the finest actors in the country. Ninety per cent of them are National School of Drama graduates. I was scared when I went for my first shot because they are brilliant in their field. It took me time but finally I settled in beautifully. Also, for the first time in my career I got the chance to speak through my eyes," Shetty
said.

The film, starring Vinod Khanna, Naseeruddin Shah and Gulshan Grover, Sameera Reddy, Seema Biswas, Ayesha Dharker, Bhagyashree, Ashish Vidhyarthi and Makarand Deshpande, comes at a time when the naxal attacks are dominating the news headlines but Shetty feels that the film will present a balanced picture.

"The film does not propagate violence. Gandhian principles of non-violence play a major role. I feel there is a solution to every problem. If the film helps someone understand that violence is not the way, it will be successful in its purpose," the actor said.

After 'Red Alert', Shetty is looking forward to a busy year with half a dozen films to his credit.

"I am doing comedies like 'No Problem' and 'Thank You' then I have an action film 'Bullet Train' with Priyadarshan. I will also be seen in 'Loot' and there is another film 'Amar Joshi Shaheed Ho Gaya', which is releasing after some delay.

It is a sweet film about the problems of a young director and exposes the industry in a humorous way," Shetty said.